Blood and Lace
by Constance of Conte
Summary: What happens when Angel comes to get Buffy after his shanshu


**Disclaimer**: These aren't my characters, they belong to the Almighty Joss.

**Rating**: PG, If you can watch the show you can read this

**Feedback**: yes please! Email me at 

Blood and Lace

"I can't believe it, Buffy, you're finally getting married." Willow Rosenberg, Buffy Summer's best-friend, squealed.

"I know!" Buffy spun in front of the full length mirror. "Does my hair look okay? You would tell me if you thought I should change it, wouldn't you Will?" Buffy had her hair in a gorgeous updo.

You're hair's lovely, and of course I would tell you if it wasn't. Why are you asking?"

"Oh, I don't know," Buffy lightly ran her hand over her hair, "Angel... I've been told that some people think it looks better down."

"Angel use to tell you that he liked it better down, didn't he?"

"Yeah," Buffy sat down in a nearby chair.

"So why didn't you just say that?" Willow sensed that her friend didn't want to talk about it anymore, so she not-so-tactfully changed the subject, "Well, your hair is fine, and it's not like anyone will see it under your veil anyway. Now, your hair is perfect, your dress is stunning, and your heels make you not to tall and not to short, so will you stop worrying already and tell me again about your plans for the honeymoon."

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_Deep Breath,_ Buffy smiled as she started to walk down the aisle, _one foot in front of the other, you can do this._

Giles leaned over slightly and whispered, "Are you alright, Buffy?"

"Yeah," his surrogate daughter smiled up at him, "just a little nervous I guess."

"I'm told that that's natural," Giles smiled and patted Buffy's arm.

Buffy looked at the man standing at the end of the aisle, and she couldn't believe that they had only been together for a couple of months. _When did this aisle get so long!_ She began to scan the crowd. There was Xander three rows from the front with a handful of new slayers. Most of them had gone to England to train with the new counsel that Giles was setting up, but a few of them, including Kennedy, had went to Italy with her.

Continuing her scan, Buffy saw Willow standing at her place as the Maid of Honor. On the other side of the room, Buffy saw a dark, lone figure. _No, it can't be,_ Buffy thought quickly. She shut her eyes tightly, when she opened them again no one was there. _Weird,_ she thought. _If I didn't know any better, I would have sworn that it was Angel, but he wouldn't be here._ Buffy focused her attention back on the man in front of her, _Deep breaths, Buffy. And smile._

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From the side of the church Angel had a good view of Buffy walking down the aisle. When he had got to town and found out that she was getting married he couldn't believe it, but, believe it or not, here she was, and, as always, she was stunning. Her dress was a gorgeous ivory, with a corset top and a straight skirt.

He tore his gaze away from the angel in front of him to look at the man she was walking towards. Angel disliked the other man on sight, but admitted to himself that it might just be his possessive side talking. He remembered back to the Forgotten Day, and the way Buffy had told him that he made her feel normal, and wondered he wondered if she told this man the same thing.

Thinking about the Forgotten Day, however, brought back more memories of Buffy. Like how peaceful she looked as she sleep, how wonderful it felt to hold her in his arms, the way she cried when they said good-bye, and the way she looked as she... _No, I can't start thinking like that. Those thoughts will only lead to badness, and she deserves to be happy._

Somewhere during Angel's musings, the ceremony started. There was a sudden movement near the back of the church. _Not now!_ As much as he wanted to stay and watch Buffy, he moved to the back of the church, hoping to stop things before they ruined Buffy's big day.

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"Do you, Kyle," the minister said, "take Buffy to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, thru better or worse, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Kyle said.

The minister nodded before continuing, "And do you Buffy, take Kyle to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, thru better or worse, as long as you both shall live."

Buffy took a deep breath, "I-"

There was a crash, and the doors of the church were flung open, as a demon sent Angel flying halfway down the aisle. Several more demons poured thru the door.

After a second, the shock wore off and Buffy screamed, "Angel!"

Angel rolled to the side just as the demon's elbow landed with a force that could have smashed Angel's skull. Angel flipped to his feet, and then punched the demon in the stomach.

Buffy looked from Angel, to her fiancé, then back to Angel. "Get the guests out," she told Kyle, then ran over to Xander. "Did you bring weapons?" she asked him.

"Did I bring weapons," Xander looked mildly insulted as he hefted a duffle bag off the floor. "Do you have a preference?"

"My scythe, did you bring my scythe?"

"Ah, that I left at home."

"Give me an axe." Xander unzipped the bag and handed her an axe, Buffy turned to the other slayers, "You know what to do," she paused, "but don't kill the vampire, okay. I'll explain later." She turned and rushed into the fight.

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After the fight, Angel approached Buffy, "Buffy."

"Angel. You're bleeding." She reached up to wipe the blood away from his split lip. A jolt went thru Buffy when they touched and she quickly pulled her hand back.

Angel wiped his lip, "I'm fine, you?"

Buffy took a breath, and winced, "Some miscellaneous bruises, maybe a broken rib or two," she looked down at her dress, "and my dress is ruined, but I think I'll survive."

Angel nodded. After a few moments of awkward silence, Angel finally asked, "Why didn't you tell me you were getting married?"

"I don't know," Buffy said, not really sure she wanted to tell him the answer, "I just figured you wouldn't want to know."

"Of course I'd want to know, Buffy. I love-"

"Don't," Buffy cut him off, "I know what you're going to say, and, just, don't. You never told me, why you were here. Did Cordelia have a vision?"

"No," Angel got quiet, "Cordelia died last year, she never woke up from her coma."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Buffy lied. She seethed with jealousy at the thought of Angel and Cordelia's relationship, "I know you two were... close."

"She was a good friend."

"Well, if it wasn't a vision, what was it?"

"I came to see you," Angel resisted the urge to reach out and pull Buffy into his arms, "I wanted to tell you that-"

"Buffy!" Kyle called, walking back into the church.

"Angel, I've got to go. It was nice to see you though. Bye."

"Yeah," Angel muttered as Buffy walked away, "bye."

When Buffy and her fiancé were out of ear shot, Angel whispered, "I wanted to tell you that I shunshued... just thought you'd want to know."

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"So, who was that?" Kyle asked as he and Buffy walked back to her house.

"Just someone I knew back in high school," Buffy gave him a quick kiss, "Are you coming over tomorrow so we can replan the wedding?"

"Yeah," he kissed her deeply. "I love you."

"Me too," Buffy opened the door and went in.

Willow was waiting for her when she got home, "So, what did Angel want?" Willow asked bouncing on the couch.

Buffy sat down and pushed a strand of hair out of her face. "I'm not sure." She thought for a moment, trying to remember exactly what Angel had said, "He said that he was here to see me. That he needed to tell me..." She stopped and tried to remember again.

"Come on, Buff, the suspense is killing us." Buffy turned to find Xander standing in the doorway to the dinning room.

"How long have you been there?" Buffy asked him.

"Since 'he said that he was here to see me'."

"So what did he need to tell you?" Willow prodded.

"He didn't actually say anything."

"You blew him off," Willow sighed, "didn't you? You didn't even give him a chance, did you?"

"Yes to both questions."

"You should call him," Willow suggested.

"Here," Xander grabbed the receiver off the wall and tossed it to Buffy.

This was something Buffy hadn't expected, especially not from Xander, who had never liked Angel. "I don't know his number."

Xander sighed loudly, _This is like pulling teeth._ "Then call his office." Buffy looked away. "You don't know Wolfram & Hart's number either, do you? Just get the operator to connect you."

Buffy turned on the phone, "Hello, Operator, can you get me Los Angeles, California, USA."

"One minute please."

There was a click then another voice came over the line, "Hello, this is the operator, can I help you?"

"Yes," the Slayer said, "Can you connect me to the L.A. Branch of Wolfram & Hart?"

There was a long pause, then, "I'm sorry, ma'am, there seems to no longer be a L.A. Branch of Wolfram & Hart."

"Then can you connect me to Angel Investigations."

There was another click before Buffy heard a familiar Cockney accent, "Angel Investigations, we help the helpless, or some such nonsense."

"Spike, is that you."

"Buff, babe, it's great to hear from you. It's kind of unexpected with Peaches over there though," the bleach blond vampire said.

"That's why I'm calling, Spike. I need you to give me Angel's cell-phone number."

Spike started looking thru a rolodex, "I'm surprised you let the Great Pouf out of your sight. Judging from the way my Great Grandsire could hardly wait to get out there, I didn't think he was planning on letting you out of bed. You know we agreed that who ever it happened to was the one you were meant for, and the other one would back off, well actually, I agreed and he broke my nose, but I think he would have come around eventually."

"Spike!" Buffy cut off the British vampire's rambling, "What are you going on about?"

"He didn't tell you, after all that and he didn't tell you. That's bloody inconsiderate of him. What is the Great Pouf waiting... oh, bloody hell, you didn't even give the Wanker a chance to say anything did you?"

Buffy wasn't in the mood to take this, particularly from Spike, "That's why I need his cell phone number, Spike!"

"Oh, right," Spike read the number off the card, "Not sure how much good it will do you, only turns his phone on about half the time, even then he doesn't know how to use it."

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A red-head with a bad dye job slid onto the barstool next to Angel, "Hey, handsome."

"Not interested," Angel downed the rest of his whiskey.

The woman pouted and left, "How may was that?" The bartender, a middle aged, brunette woman, asked.

"I don't know, lost count." Women had been trying to pick Angel up all night, none of them having any luck. Angel pushed his glass toward the bartender, "Give me another."

She poured him another whiskey, straight, "So, who is she?"

"Who's who?" Angel's phone rang; he flipped the phone open then shut it again.

"Well the only guys who come here are either to meet women or to forget them, and by the way you're drinking and the rate at which you're turning them down, I can guess which one. So who is she?"

"Ex-girlfriend, she's getting married," Angel downed his drink in one, and pushed it to the bar tender.

She filled it, "And you still love her."

"More than life itself." Angel's cell phone rang again, and again he hung up without answering it.

"So, do you mind if I ask why she broke-up with a great looking guy like you."

Angel looked up at the mirror behind the bar, and wished that he didn't reflect so that he wouldn't have to look at himself anymore, "She didn't, I left her." His phone rang again, this time he answered it, "What do you want?"

"Angel?"

"Buffy," Angel didn't know whether to be happy or pissed. With all the alcohol he had in his system, he decided on pissed. "Did you want something?"

Buffy was stunned by his aggression, "You never told me why you're here."

"You never gave me the chance." Angel's voice was a low drawl.

"I'm sorry about that," Buffy had never heard him so mad, at least not as Angel, "but I am now. Please, Angel, why are you here?"

"It doesn't matter now." Angel hung up the phone. "Bartender, another drink!"

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About 5 hours after getting off the phone with Angel, Buffy's phone rang. "Who is calling at 3:30 in the morning," Buffy moaned as she put the pillow over her head. When that didn't drown out the incessant ringing, she decided to bite the bullet and answer the phone. "Hello," she mumbled.

"Hi," a female voice said, "Is this Buffy Summers?"

"Yes."

"I have a young man here that's past-out in my bar. He doesn't have a hotel key, and the only phone number he has on him, that's in the country, is yours."

Buffy sighed, "What's his name?"

"Well, I didn't ask," the bartender said, "but his business cards say Angel."

"I'm coming to pick him up," Buffy sat up and swung her feet out of bed, "Thanks."

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When Angel woke up his head was pounding. "Why didn't you tell me you shanshued?" Buffy asked.

Angel pressed his hands to his head, "Could you not yell."

"I wasn't yelling," Buffy said calmly.

"Yeah, but I'm hung-over, everything sounds like yell."

"I'll get you some Aspirin." Buffy left the room, when she came back she handed him two pills and a glass of water.

"Thanks," he muttered as he downed the pills.

"So why didn't you tell me you shanshued?" Buffy asked again.

"How did you know that?"

"The bartender told me that you were still breathing."

"So why didn't you tell me you shanshued?" Buffy said one last time, forcefully.

"If you'll remember, I was trying to tell you. However you were busy getting married!"

"Oh," Buffy realized he was right, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about that."

After a few moments of awkward silence, Angel mustered up all his courage and asked, "So, how did you meet him?"

"He's the brother of one of the new Slayers." Buffy told him, slightly surprised that he was interested.

"Oh," Angel said, _I'm going to be happy for her, _he thought, _This is why I left her, so that she could have this._

Buffy moved to sit next to Angel on the bed, "So what are you going to do, now that human?"

"I hadn't thought much past reclaiming my mate." He touched her arm.

"Your...," Buffy stood up, "I'm not your mate, Angel. I haven't been for a long time now; that was your decision."

"I know that, Buffy. And I have to live with my decision to leave everyday. But mates are for life," he stood up and walked toward her. "So deny it if you want, and move on if you can, but," he touched the scar on her neck, his mark, "you will always be my girl."

Buffy stepped close to him. He brushed his lips against hers. Buffy closed her eyes and relaxed into him. "No," she said suddenly. Her eyes flung open and she stepped back. "I'm not yours any more, Angel. I'm with Kyle now, we're getting married."

Angel grabbed his coat from the end of the bed, "I should go." Gathering up all of his strength, he kissed Buffy's cheek and said, "I hope you two will be happy together."

"Were will you go?" Buffy chocked out as he was about to leave.

"Ireland," Angel said as he slipped into his coat, "I think it's time I go home, at least for a little while."

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"Buffy?" Kyle shook his fiancé's shoulder, "Honey, are you okay?"

Buffy shook her head to clear the fog, "I'm fine." They were trying to replan the wedding, and she had been spacing out all evening. "Just a little distracted."

Kyle closed the date planner that was on the table. "Maybe we should do this later. We should just get away for awhile, go to Ireland, you've always talked about wanting to go there."

Her mind rebelled against the idea, _Not with you!_ She thought, _Angel! Angel and I are going to go to Ireland together!_ "I can't do this." Buffy took her engagement ring off and set it on the coffee table, "I'm sorry, Kyle, so sorry." She ran up to her room to pack, leaving a very confused ex-fiancé sitting on the couch, wondering what he'd said wrong.

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Buffy walked into the cemetery. It was a beautifully sunny day, and it seemed almost a sin to spend it in a place that spoke of so much death. A lone figure sat kneeling amongst the gravestone. "Angel," she said as she approached him.

"Buffy?" he turned to look at her, not believing that she was really here, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to find you," she sat down next to him, "You didn't exactly make it easy either. I wouldn't have thought to find you in a graveyard, now that you're not dead anymore, that is." Angel's silence said everything. "They're you're family," it was not so much a question as a statement.

Angel nodded, "Buffy, I..."

"You need some more alone time with them," Angel nodded again. "I understand."

"There is an inn in town," Angel told her, "that's where I'm staying, if you want to wait for me there."

"Yeah," she stood up to leave.

When she was at the gate, Angel called out, "Buffy." She turned to look at him, still on the ground. "Are you still my girl?" He asked and waited for her answer, as if the weight of the world depended on it.

"Always," she told him with a smile. Then she went to the inn to wait.

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End file.
